Skin Inflammation: How To Fight It

Picture this: you’re in your bedroom getting ready for an exciting event, like a birthday party, date night, or dinner with friends. You’ve been looking forward to it all week, and you can’t wait to show up looking like a million bucks.

Then, suddenly, you notice part of your face is turning red, and it feels hot and itchy. Now, your fun night is no longer on your mind—the only thing you can think about is this intrusive rash that appeared out of nowhere.

That’s skin inflammation. Anyone who’s experienced this condition knows that it’s no fun at all. With symptoms like redness, itchiness, dryness, and skin discoloration, inflammation can ruin your whole day, night, or week in just a few moments. 

Skin inflammation is a complicated affliction that appears in many forms and has equally many causes. Luckily, there is plenty of scientific research on this issue, and as such, we have plenty of ways to resist it. 

Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about skin inflammation and all the best ways to fight it.

What Is Skin Inflammation? 

To start things off, let’s discuss the definition of this skin problem. 

Skin inflammation is directly linked to the immune system, which protects your body from outside threats like microbes, bacteria, viruses, and toxins. When the immune system springs into action to neutralize a threat, inflammation sometimes occurs.

In other words, the skin becomes inflamed when it takes part in an immune response. This often results in a rash. 

As we mentioned earlier, skin inflammation comes from a wide variety of causes. Here’s a short list of some of the most common causes:

Allergic Reaction: You probably know that allergic reactions tend to cause rashes. Well, those rashes result from skin inflammation. 

If your immune system recognizes something in your body as foreign, it may cause an allergic reaction, which leads to skin inflammation. Different foods and medications trigger these reactions in different people.

Similarly, contact with an outside irritant like poison ivy, perfumes, or cosmetic products leads to allergic reactions for some people.

Bacterial, Viral, or Fungal Infection: When your body needs to fight infections like cellulitis or ringworm, the immune response may incite skin inflammation.

Photosensitivity: Someone with this condition has immune reactions to sunlight.

Heat: If you’ve ever had a heat rash, you experienced skin inflammation. When sweat gets trapped in your pores, it causes irritation and a heat rash.

Genetics: Sometimes, inflammatory conditions like eczema result from genetics. 

Immune System Dysfunction: Finally, immune system dysfunction is a major cause of skin inflammation. Your immune system may overreact to normal things and trigger a reaction. 

As you can see, the causes of skin inflammation vary greatly. It can be a one-off occurrence or a serious health issue. So, as we delve into all the ways to fight inflammation, be sure to keep these various causes in mind.

Treating Skin Inflammation Medically 

Depending on the severity of the case, skin inflammation often requires diagnosis and treatment from a doctor. 

If you experience frequent or severe inflammation, your doctor will likely run several tests to determine the cause. Blood tests, allergy tests, and skin tests are common methods used to diagnose this issue.

Once you receive a diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe either a topical cream or an oral medication. They might also suggest an over-the-counter treatment.

Topical treatments may include corticosteroid creams, antibacterial or antifungal creams, and anti-itch creams like hydrocortisone. Common oral medications include antihistamines, dapsone, oral antibiotics or antifungals, retinoids, and more.

If your skin inflammation is a serious, persistent issue, visit your doctor to determine the best medical treatment for you.

Fighting Inflammation With An Anti-Inflammatory Diet 

Though doctors offer plenty of effective treatments for inflammation, sometimes topical and oral medicine doesn’t work. It can be incredibly frustrating to visit the doctor and receive no diagnosis or solution. If this is the case for you, you may want to consider another potential remedy: changing your diet. 

In recent decades, researchers have discovered that certain foods help fight inflammation. 

Chronic inflammation has been linked to serious diseases like cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and more. As such, doing whatever you can to reduce inflammation is in your best interest. Altering your diet is one way to do so. 

Here are some of the foods that may cause inflammation:

Refined carbohydrates, like white bread and pastries

Fried foods, like french fries

Soda and sugar-sweetened beverages

Margarine, lard, and shortening

Red meat and processed meat

 

These foods are typically considered unhealthy. Some of these foods have been tied to chronic diseases that, in turn, have been linked to chronic inflammation. In general, avoiding these foods should help improve your health in countless ways.

Of course, cutting out all of these foods would be difficult for many of us. Who doesn’t love fried foods and sugar? However, even if you can’t cut them all out entirely, consider reducing your consumption little by little to fight potential inflammation. 

So, what about the foods that are actually good for us? 

Well, the good news is there are plenty of delicious, wholesome foods that have an anti-inflammatory effect. These include:

Tomatoes

Olive oil

Green, leafy vegetables like spinach and kale

Nuts

Fatty fish, like salmon and tuna

Fruits, like strawberries, blueberries, and oranges

 

If you’re looking to replace some of those unhealthy foods mentioned above, these are a few excellent options. 

Ultimately, inflammation can be a serious issue with health effects that impact all areas of the body. Switching to a healthier diet may just be the key to fighting these harmful effects.

At-Home Remedies for Skin Inflammation 

If you’re still searching for a solution to your irritating skin inflammation problem, perhaps it’s time to turn to at-home remedies.

Let’s explore some of the best ways to treat different types of inflammation. 

If you’ve had an inflammatory reaction, you may be experiencing redness, itchiness, and swelling. Mild reactions usually diminish after a week or two, but you probably still want some relief in the meantime. 

Here are some easy ways to treat your symptoms at home: 

 

Use a cold compress. Placing a cold compress on your rash will help relieve the itchiness and discomfort. You can even try taking a cool shower.

Take an oatmeal bath. This method has been used for ages. Grind some oatmeal into a fine powder and mix it with lukewarm bathwater. Then, soak in the bath for up to 15 minutes. 

Keep in mind that some people experience unpleasant reactions to oatmeal baths. You may want to try it out on a small part of your body before going all-in.

Use over-the-counter cream. Anti-itch cream like hydrocortisone or calamine lotion can be a life-saver for many people. If your rash is especially itchy, this may be the best move for you.

Wear loose clothing. This may seem obvious, but you shouldn’t wear anything that’s too tight. If your clothing is rubbing against your rash, it can easily irritate it and make your symptoms worse.

Put on a face mask. If you are experiencing skin inflammation on your face, a soothing face mask might bring you the relief you need. Whether you make your own mask or buy one at the store, look for one with anti-inflammatory additives like turmeric.

Our Vitamin C Clay Mask is full of soothing ingredients, including Aloe Vera and Turmeric. A face mask like this one may help reduce your symptoms and leave your face feeling fresh.

 

Apply soothing ingredients from around the house. When skin inflammation appears out of nowhere, sometimes you just don’t have the time or the energy to purchase or make a face mask. Fortunately, there are a few common foods/oils that may provide quick relief. 

If you have any of these lying around the house, try applying one to the affected area: 

Honey

Apple cider vinegar

Coconut oil

Tea tree oil

Aloe vera gel

Sometimes, at-home remedies are the best way to quickly soothe your skin inflammation. Hopefully, this list will help you find some relief.

Skin Inflammation On The Whole

Skin inflammation is one of the most irritating skin issues anyone can experience. Not only does it cause physical blemishes like redness and discoloration, but it can also feel itchy, hot, and painful, not to mention potentially harmful to your overall health. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of resources out there to help with fighting skin inflammation. Whether you choose to visit a doctor, change your diet, or treat yourself with an at-home remedy, we sincerely hope you can find an effective remedy to your inflammation.

Sources

Skin Inflammation: What You Need to Know to Stop the Itch and Pain | Healthline

Foods that fight inflammation - Harvard Health

6 Ways to Treat Your Skin Allergies | WebMD